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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spring — the season
  3. season — of the year
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spring — of water
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spring — a coil
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — a container
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com